“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Hebrews 4:16 (NASV)
I went to church the first Sunday in January and received affirmation from God, without me even asking Him for it. Even though I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, I do start my year reflecting on what changes need to be made in my life and try to create new habits, a new lifestyle that will be sustained past the month of January, when studies show most resolutions tend to fall to the wayside.
The sermon illustration our Life Groups pastor used referenced the movie, “Twister.” If you’ve seen the movie, do you remember when they were in the middle of a field, with two tornadoes coming toward them simultaneously, and one character yelled, “We’ve got a cow!” Then a few minutes later, he yelled again, “Another cow!” to which his friend replied, “Nope, same cow.” Our pastor asked the question, “Are you ready to kill your cow (whatever struggle you are facing) or do you want to keep allowing your cow to circle back over and over and…?
One of the ways he talked about defeating that stubborn cow is how we address our problems with God. He said God showed him the word “bold” which he then decided to see how many times that word is actually used in the Bible, approximately 60 times, enough to sit up and pay attention. That got my attention. Always in the past, I have tried to fight my cow from a passive stance – “Please, Lord, let me win this time… pretty please.” However, I had been preparing to slaughter my cow weeks before I even entered the church doors that particular Sunday because I’m tired of fighting the same battles year after year. I decided to go to God boldly, asking Him to give me the strength I needed to fight because I meant it this time.
I think that’s a great way to approach God… to approach life. Boldly. Confident that He will answer. Confident that He will direct. Confident that my problem isn’t so big He can’t handle it but walking in faith that He can.
I use that to encourage you today. Whatever battle you are facing in 2016, or maybe that you’ve been facing for years now, remember that God wants us to approach Him boldly, with confidence, asking for wisdom in how He wants us to proceed. In our own lives… in our family’s life… any issues in life we may face.
I will leave you with one last thought from my pastor: “The level we approach God with is the level God will respond with.” Do we want God to answer our prayers boldly? Then let’s approach Him with the same bold reverence, in faith, knowing He will answer.
© Cheri Swalwell 2016